MIRROR

When I heard it, it sounded so familiar. It felt as though I listen to that music daily and I can never forget it.

Something was strange there. But everything around looked so familiar. Was I there before? Can't recall! It was an abandoned fort next to a sea shore. Something inside me was telling that I was not alone there. I never was! I tried to recall how I came there. Nothing came to my mind. It was as though I was brought there in my sleep. Trying to recall how I came there, I closed my eyes.

It was Dark. There were high rise buildings, well lighted. There were many people around. None of the faces there were recognizable. I walked around a bit. That place looked very unfamiliar. There was a bridge over which a man in fully pressed suit who was looking at the crowd below. No one seems to have noticed him, but I could not help it. He was very far from where I was. Wanted to ask someone the way back to home. Tried to stop and speak to couple of guys there, but hardly did they respond. The walk of each and everyone out there was mechanical as though unaware of the world around. Now I can see the man over the bridge clearly. He was still staring at the crowd below. I felt like I had seen him somewhere. Very Familiar. When I went much closer, I realized he was staring at me. He was an old man in his 60s. Something inside was telling me that I meet him daily and he now wants to tell me something. The way back to my home? I searched for stairs to reach him. Surprisingly there weren’t any! I tried hard to recall his name. Nothing flashed in my mind. I shouted loudly “HEY” waving towards the old man. The old man was still looking at me without any change in expression. But the crowd, who doesn’t seem to have had any clue about my existence there, started looking at me. Everyone out there looked at me once and carried on with their walking. But two men, very identical (perhaps twins) still had their eyes on me. They both almost together, put their hands inside their jacket. I looked at the old man. He turned his face towards his left once and started looking at me again. That looked like some indication to me. Without even giving a second thought I started running towards the way the old man indicated. After running to the end of the road, I turned back to make sure the ‘twins’ are not running after me. And I saw myself standing next to a huge hotel, where some party was going on. Some music was being played. The music which I listen to everyday. From the distance I could make out that the old man has disappeared from the bridge. And suddenly I felt heard a huge noise very near to me and I fell on the ground. Bullet fire? What I saw then was complete darkness.

Complete darkness! I opened my eyes. I saw the same twins standing in front of me in the fort. Was I abducted and bought here? But why?

“Why you guys have bought me here?” No reply.

It was as though both were sleeping with their sunglasses on. I could see the entrance/exit to the fort which leads to the sea. I slowly walked towards that and surprisingly the twins did not move. I did not turn back till I reached the exit. Near exit when I was confident that I can sneak out without any problems, and looked back, found the twins face turned towards me. They let me go willingly? I was about to run through the exit I saw the ‘old man’ again in front of me. He was lot younger this time. How can he grow young? I could say he is the same guy with scar he had in his forehead. It was clearly visible in the street light, when he had turned his face to point out my escape route when he was standing on the bridge. But this time he was smiling as though he was telling “there is no escape this time”. We both stood there for few minutes without any words between the two. Finally he broke the silence. He said “Go Inside”. I took couple of steps back. Saw a wooden log which was reachable to me easily.

When I woke up, felt severe pain in my neck. It was as though someone hit me with the wooden log. I found myself lying in front of a house. I knocked the door hoping not to have the ‘old man’ open the door. But the door opened with my push. A man and a lady were sitting on a sofa and watching TV. A small kid was playing in front of them. The man smiled at me and said “come in sonny”. I observed the man. He looked very much like the ‘old man’ Oh! No not again! And then I saw his forhead. No scar! I drank a glass of water which was kept on the table and sat on an empty chair there. The couple though not looking @ me, failed to restrict naughty smile on their faces. They knew what I went through today? Suddenly I realized, I had seen the before. ‘The twins’?? Unwillingly I turned towards the kid. I was searching for scar on his forehead. The kid looked and smiled at me and turned towards the man who now had remote in his hands and said “It’s time”.

Music! The same music which I listen daily and do not ever want to be played again. The same music that wakes me up from my dear sleep. Each and every day! Without miss! Had its laugh once again today. I found myself on my bed. I covered my face with my hands and wished myself good morning and went towards the sink , washed my face and while my towel was doing its duty of cleaning the last traces water left on my face, a scar on my forehead which I got in my childhood in a bicycle crash was clearly visible in the mirror. Time to play the same alarm music again?